Durbin issues statement about grounding of Boeing 737 planes

Eight Americans were among the 346 killed including an Army Captain from Illinois. (Source: Pixabay.com)

By James Long| March 12, 2019 at 6:16 PM CDT - Updated March 13 at 5:01 PM

WASHINGTON (KFVS) - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is saying safety comes first after the announcement that the Federal Aviation Administration is grounding all Boeing 737 Max series aircraft.

“The safety of the flying public must come first," Durbin said. "Until we can thoroughly examine the black box from the Ethiopian airplane, I support the FAA’s grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft. While this order will have an impact on the U.S. aviation system, I urge the FAA to work with the airlines to develop a plan that will lessen that impact on travelers.”

Durbin was pressing the Federal Avaiation Administration (FAA) to give the public answers about the safety of the Boeing 737 Max 8 series aircraft following this weekend’s Ethiopian Airlines crash.

Eight Americans were among the 346 killed including an Army Captain from Illinois.

In a letter on Tuesday, March 12 to FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell, Durbin said that if the FAA deems the aircraft safe to fly, the public deserves full transparency about how the FAA came to that conclusion:

“Although the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will be assisting in the investigation of the Ethiopia Airlines crash, the FAA has a broader responsibility to ensure each Boeing 737 Max 8 series aircraft currently operating in the U.S. is safe to fly,” Durbin said. “To that end, I urge the FAA to fully investigate any potential technical and mechanical vulnerabilities of the Boeing 737 Max 8 series aircraft, to re-inspect and certify each aircraft in the U.S. fleet as safe to fly, and to implement interim and long-term changes to design, procedures, and training to support the continued operational safety of the fleet.”

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Eight Americans were among the 346 killed including an Army Captain from Illinois. (Source: Pixabay.com)